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This parade differed from the previous nighttime parade, “Main Street Electrical Parade”, in that it featured a new theme song, “On This Magic Night”, displays filled with fiber optics and a host of new, parade-specific characters. The parade ran through May 22, 1999, to make way for the temporary return of “Main Street Electrical Parade” for the start of the Millennium Celebration, and then returned again March 26, 2001. “SpectroMagic” officially ended its run at Magic Kingdom Park in 2010.

What did you like most about this parade? Tell us in the “comments” section below!

34 Comments

1

Michael on March 10th, 2014 at 9:16 am

I miss this parade a lot since it was the first one that I ever saw and set up my parade standards for forever. There was just something so magical about the end units going from color to white lights.

2

Jacqueline on March 10th, 2014 at 9:26 am

Dear Jennifer,

Thank you for bringing back a flood of bittersweet memories. We saw this parade during that time frame in March, 2001 just after my son had been diagnosed with severe autism. This parade, however, had him riveted and he focussed on every single float. We were so elated and for that brief time he was completely in our World!

I’ll never forget the joy that night,
Thank you,
Jackie

Jennifer Fickley-Baker on March 10th, 2014 at 6:48 pm

What a great memory, Jackie. Thanks for sharing.

3

Christopher on March 10th, 2014 at 9:35 am

Spectromagic was a fantastic evening show…Great floats and great music…Sitting on the curb waiting for the parade to start…Kids had a great time interacting with cast members…As the parade was ending getting up and follow the lighted rope line walking down Main Street…There’s no words to describe it…Hopefully it will come back soon…

4

kathleen on March 10th, 2014 at 9:37 am

Even after many viewings, SpectroMagic was probably the most beautiful, heartwarming, and magical experience we ever had at Disney.

5

Nicole from FL on March 10th, 2014 at 9:47 am

I liked when Mickey would turn all the floats gold, then bring them right back to color. I really wish they would get rid of the main street electrical parade and bring Spectro back!

6

Rodolfo on March 10th, 2014 at 9:55 am

SPECTROMAGIC was for me one of the best Disney parades I have ever seen. The music of this parade was so Disney, so magical so inspirational…. also what I love was the fact to see so many Disney Characters specially the The little pigs “painting” the whole parade from colors to white and viceversa.

I still cant believe this parade is now history, and specially because I was hoping to see it for one more time before its was removed in a farewell even, just like Tokyo Disneyland did for Fantillusion..or seen in Disneyland or other Disney Resort… but I still have the hope to have in the future the chance to say” On this magic night”…! =)

7

Kai on March 10th, 2014 at 10:15 am

I was whistling the theme to Spectro while I made lunch today. We absolutely loved it to bits and were really upset when it was retired at WDW. I hope Disney bring it back, in my opinion the Main Street Electrical Parade just isn’t the same.

“On this magic ni-ight, a million stars will play beside us, cast a spell of li-ight, glimmering, shimmering carouselling”

One of the best themes to a parade that I can remember, that and “Remember the Magic”.

Bring back SpectroMagic!

8

Tom on March 10th, 2014 at 10:43 am

I honestly liked both parades… I wish they could do both, but I understand why they can’t. Each parade brings back memories from 2 different points in my life.

9

Alexandra from NJ on March 10th, 2014 at 10:47 am

I miss this parade so much! Whenever I have a bad day and need a little magic I put on the music and it makes my day brighter!

10

Daniel on March 10th, 2014 at 10:55 am

I wanted to share a memory of this parade. In a trip to WDW in 2002 with my parents and siblings, my little brother, who was only 6 at the time, insisted on dressing up like Captain Hook for the evening in the Magic Kingdom. When Hook came around on his float in Spectro, my brother shook his own hook at the Captain, shouting his name – and the gesture was returned! Back and forth, they shook hooks at each other, my little brother’s eyes filled with happiness and amazement. My sister and I cheered wildly at that magical moment. Good trip down memory lane. My siblings and I have since made many great memories watching the Main Street Electrical Parade together, always shaking our “hooks” at the Captain as he goes by in that parade as well.

Jennifer Fickley-Baker on March 10th, 2014 at 6:49 pm

What a special memory. Thanks for sharing, Daniel!

11

Amber on March 10th, 2014 at 11:07 am

SpectroMagic was my first Disney parade so maybe that’s why it holds such a special place in my heart! I saw it on the night of the first day I ever spent exploring the Magic Kingdom, a place I’d been dreaming about for 18 years!! I remember the lights and the music and just being in so much awe! It definitely made me feel like a little kid again! I like to give Spectro much of the credit for cementing nighttime in the Magic Kingdom as my favorite time of all!

12

Jennifer on March 10th, 2014 at 11:24 am

This is my favorite parade. Are there any plans to bring this back??

13

Chris on March 10th, 2014 at 11:45 am

Loved this parade. Is it true it has been destroyed? Any plans for a new nighttime parade anytime soon? I love MSEP, but something fresh and exciting would be welcome.

14

Brian on March 10th, 2014 at 11:47 am

I miss the SpectroMagic soundtrack most of all.

15

Hilary from IL on March 10th, 2014 at 12:41 pm

After reading these comments I see how much the Electrical parades have stuck with park visitors. I grew up in Southern California and visited Disneyland many times a year from 1982-1991. Now we live in Illinois and visit Disney World more often than Disneyland. Although I enjoyed watching SpectroMagic, the music and parade that are the Main Street Electrical Parade bring back a flood of memories of being a child at Disneyland and I tear up almost everytime I hear the music begin. I am so happy to be able to share this with my 4-year-old daughter. We will be taking her for her second visit in September and she can’t wait to watch the parade again.

Jennifer Fickley-Baker on March 10th, 2014 at 6:50 pm

My young son just saw Main Street Electrical for the first time – it’s so special to share what we love about the parks with our little ones!

16

John on March 10th, 2014 at 1:22 pm

Jennifer,
My wife and I were talking about SpectroMagic Parade the other week and I know that she has seen it, but I never did. We heard that MK sent the parade to Hong Kong or to Shanghai. Can you tell us?

17

Aimee on March 10th, 2014 at 1:31 pm

How I wish they would bring this back again! This one is my favorite. On our very first family trip, my daughter was about almost 4 yrs old. She was entirely obsessed with the movie Mary Poppins at the time. As the parade was going by, Mary Poppins came straight to my daughter at the curb and gave her a big spontaneous hug! It was absolutely magical and we still talk about it today years later!!

Jennifer Fickley-Baker on March 10th, 2014 at 6:51 pm

What a fun moment! I adore Mary Poppins, too.

18

Matthew from PA on March 10th, 2014 at 3:03 pm

This was my all-time favorite Disney parade. Great music, wonderful floats, and some great memories. If I recall, it went away with the promise of coming back after the Main Street Electrical Parade replaced it for what was advertised then as a limited engagement for Summer Nightastic in 2010. Very sad to hear confirmation that it’s been retired for good. I was holding out hope that one day it would come back.

19

Ron on March 10th, 2014 at 4:54 pm

I along with others I see, really miss this parade. So, many memories of my kids during this parade. I would love to have it back.

20

Stacey on March 10th, 2014 at 5:59 pm

I really wish they would bring back Spectromagic! Maybe it’s the nostalgia of my childhood, but something about this show is heartwarming and magical.

21

Ashley on March 10th, 2014 at 6:47 pm

This was probably one of the most magical things Disney ever did. I wish it came back bigger and better than ever!

22

Stan on March 10th, 2014 at 9:56 pm

My first trip to WDW was in 1997 for my Honeymoon. Within hours of arriving at the park, my new wife and I lined up to see the Spectromagic parade, and since then it has always been a special memory for me. I got to watch my kids see it when we took them back there for visits, and we were all crushed when they changed the parade format. I’m hoping they’ll bring it back someday!

23

Jennifer on March 10th, 2014 at 11:23 pm

It’s hard to just pick one thing about Spectromagic to talk about. You knew your night was about to become infinitely more magical when you heard Jiminey Cricket announce it was time to get ready for Spectromagic! My sister and I would never miss the parade during our week-long stays at WDW. We would park hop to all the other parks, but always made sure we made it back to the Magic Kingdom in time for Spectromagic. The music is the best parade music I’ve ever heard from Disney, and the floats were all well thought out and enchanting.

This is probably the one thing I miss the most in WDW, and I wish at least a new set of floats to the same music would appear! Nothing can top this music.

24

Daniel on March 11th, 2014 at 2:52 am

I miss SpectroMagic so much! It was the parade I grew up with and had so many wonderful memories! I would love to see it return somehow!!

25

Cynthia on March 11th, 2014 at 12:11 pm

LOVED this parade!!! Brings back so many great memories- I was hoping that it would make a return to the Magic Kingdom

26

Juliana on March 11th, 2014 at 12:59 pm

This post seriously made my day as Spectromagic is my first memory in a Disney Park. It’s been exactly 18 years and a few days since 1996, when I was 9 and my family and I walked into Magic Kingdom for the first time and on Main St this parade was going and I remember being in completely awe. I have been hooked on Disney Parks since!

27

Brandi on March 11th, 2014 at 5:43 pm

I first saw this parade on my first Disney trip when I was 4 years old. The last time I saw it was with my fiance, who had proposed a few days earlier in front of Cinderella Castle. We are so happy to have gotten to see SpectroMagic one last time, and are both heartbroken that it has been retired.

28

Anthony from PA on March 11th, 2014 at 6:51 pm

Please bring back SpectroMagic! The music, the lights, the memories! We miss it a lot and hope you bring it back very soon. Please!

29

Vanessa from NJ on March 28th, 2014 at 2:07 pm

Hands down best nighttime display ever. The music was FANTASTIC. The lights were gorgeous. Bring it back!

30

Gladys from PA on July 6th, 2014 at 7:56 am

Please bring back Spectromagic!! It was the most magical parade Disney World has ever had. The music was thunderous and uplifting and made me believe in magic. The wonderfully themed floats timed to the music and the varied characters was simply awesome!! Bring it back so that those of us who loved it can enjoy it once more, and so that future generations can experience the magic of this parade for years to come.

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